Morrison attacks Labor over TPVs

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says Labor shouldn't be teaming up with the Australian Greens to defer the reintroduction of temporary protection visas (TPV).

The coalition government is trying to restore the TPV system established by the former Howard government and abolished by Labor in 2008.

Mr Morrison told parliament this had led to a rise in asylum seeker boats when Labor never managed to get under control.

"The previous government had ... a solution and they turned it into a problem of catastrophic proportions," he said during question time on Thursday.

They should hang their heads in shame."

The Senate is due in December to consider a Greens disallowance motion to stop TPVS being reintroduced by the Abbott government.

"They should ... instead of what they are do nig in the senate right now, which is to join up to with the Greens ... to defer the consideration of the Greens motion to disallow the reintroduction of temporary protection visas ...

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"They are teaming up with the Greens to defer the decision," Mr Morrison said.

"They are double-minded they are divided on this issue and they always defer to the Greens."

The Greens and Labor have the numbers in the Senate and can made hurdles for government legislation.

Three-year TPVS were issued to people applying for refugee status after arriving in Australian by boat. Holders could be sent back if conditions improved in their homeland.

Labor's immigration spokesman Richard Marles then asked the minister how many boats had successfully been turned back to Indonesia, since the government came to power and began implementing its turn-back policy.

Mr Morrison said providing this information would jeopardise border control operations.

"These are not things that are canvassed publicly," he said.

"To provide the information that the opposition has requested would be to violate the communications protocols.

"To do so would aid people smugglers."

Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek said Mr Morrison didn't want to admit the coalition had failed to stop the boats.

"He just needs to tell us a number. If the number is zero, then just say it," she said.

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop objected to Ms Plibersek's tone and asked her to withdraw the comment.

"That's not my type of language," the speaker said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has promised the navy would turn back refugee boats to Indonesia where it was safe to do so.

Mr Morrison would not say if he was aware of further information to be released at his weekly border protection briefing, only saying he had no information in his folder of briefing papers.

"I have no information within my folder here which goes to the matters which would deal with the briefing I will give tomorrow," he said.

He said the protocols for Operation Sovereign Borders allowed for a weekly briefing on details of arrivals and transfers to offshore detention centres.

"I'm not going to violate a protocol that has been put in place by the JDF to ensure the integrity of that operation to the entertainment of those members opposite or others," Mr Morrison said.